Method and Apparatus for Sharing Documents

Abstract

A method for securely sharing electronic documents on a document storage system. The method includes receiving an electronic document from a creating user, generating an encryption key unique to the electronic document, encrypting the electronic document using the encryption key to create an encrypted electronic document, and communicating the encrypted electronic document to a document repository for storage / The method also includes identifying a resource locator for uniquely identifying the storage location of the encrypted electronic document and communicating the encryption key and the resource locator to the creating user. The method also includes receiving the encryption key and the resource locator from a requesting user, retrieving the encrypted electronic document from the document repository using the resource locator, decrypting the encrypted electronic document using the encryption key, and communicating the decrypted electronic document to the requesting user.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]This disclosure relates in general to communication systems and more particularly to a method and apparatus for sharing electronic documents within a communication system.BACKGROUND[0002]When sharing electronic documents in a networked environment, whether the unsecured Internet or a private intranet, it may be desirable to allow a document creator to share the document with only a select group of other users or devices. Such security may be particularly desirable when the electronic document contains private or sensitive information. Several methods exist to verify the identity of a user attempting to gain access to a share electronic document, such as username and password combinations, and public / private key combinations.[0003]With this variety of security methods, it is often cumbersome for the creator or manager of an electronic document to maintain security credentials and / or communicate the necessary credentials to those users that require access to the e...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]The present disclosure provides a method and apparatus for securely sharing document that substantially eliminates or reduces at least some of the disadvantages and problems associated with previous methods and systems.

[0008]Technical advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure include providing secure means of sharing document among multiple users in a network environment. More particularly, this approach allows the contents of documents shared within a document storage system to be protected from view by administrators and other users with high-level access to document storage system. Further, the creating user is given increased flexibility and control in determining which other users may be granted access to the contents of an electronic document. Other technical advantages will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims. Moreover, while specific advantages have been enumerated above, various embodiments may include all, some or none of the enumerated advantages.

Problems solved by technology

With this variety of security methods, it is often cumbersome for the creator or manager of an electronic document to maintain security credentials and / or communicate the necessary credentials to those users that require access to the electronic document.

Such depositories are often used in sharing electronic documents, and the access required by certain users to maintain the technical environment may also be used to inappropriately access the documents stored within that environment.

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